1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sprayers and, more specifically, to a system for spraying chemicals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Floor cleaning and sanitation is critical in such industries as food service and production. One method of floor cleaning and sanitation includes cleaning the floor with a mop and a bucket filled with a detergent/water mixture. The floor is then rinsed with water, which is subsequently mopped up and disposed in the bucket. A sanitizer/water mixture is then applied with the mop to kill remaining microbes. This method is time consuming, strenuous for large floor surfaces and introduces the possibility of cross-contamination between the steps involved when the same mop is used for each step.
Typical operations, such as supermarket meat cutting facilities, employ central chemical proportioning systems to provide cleaning chemicals to users. Such systems include a detergent input, a sanitizer input, a water-only bypass and an output that is connectable to a hose. A plurality of valves allows a user to select between various combinations being delivered to the hose for subsequent spraying on the floor, these include: detergent/water (for cleaning), water only (for rinsing) and sanitizer/water (for sanitizing).
Typically, the user initially applies water only spray through a spray nozzle to remove gross soils, then the user applies the water/detergent combination through a foaming wand coupled to the hose. The user then turns off the detergent/water feed from the proportioning system, scrubs the floor with a stiff-bristle broom and then resets the proportioning system for rinsing with water. At this point, the user has to replace the foaming wand with a spray nozzle, similar to a typical garden spray nozzle. The user then rinses with water, driving the foam into a floor drain. Next the user resets the proportioning system to receive the sanitizer/water combination and applies the sanitizer to the floor either through a spray nozzle or through a foaming wand.
Existing systems have the disadvantage of requiring the user to bend over to hold the foaming wand and the spray nozzle close to the floor. This can cause discomfort and the possibility of back strain. Also, the spray nozzle and foaming wand both have a circular spray pattern, which gives rise to the possibility of cross contamination of items (such as food and equipment) placed above floor level. Furthermore, existing systems also require the user to change between a foaming wand and a spray nozzle, which is inconvenient and time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for spray system that allows the user to apply chemicals to a floor that reduces bending over by the user. There is also a need for spray system that can change from a foaming mode to a spray mode without requiring the user to change or switch a nozzle for a foaming wand. There is also a need for spray system that concentrates the spray close to the floor. There is also a need for spray system that has a substantially flat spray pattern, rather than a circular pattern.